Dr Charlotte Severne announced as next Māori Trustee

Te Tumu Paeroa welcomes today's announcement of the appointment of the next Māori Trustee, Dr Charlotte Severne (Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāi Tūhoe), and looks forward to continuing its work to protect and enhance Māori land.

Te Tumu Paeroa is an independent organisation led by the Māori Trustee. We manage over 90,000 hectares of Māori land on behalf of nearly 100,000 owners by providing professional trustee, property management, and land development services to over 1,800 Māori land trusts.

Our vision is to support land owners to use their land to its fullest potential – creating a legacy for this generation, and the generations that follow.

Jamie Tuuta, CEO of Te Tumu Paeroa, says, “Dr Severne will bring relevant experience, skills and knowledge to build on the strong foundations Te Tumu Paeroa has already set in protecting and growing Māori land and assets.

“This is a great opportunity to continue our programme of increasing the use of science and technology in supporting land owners in decision-making, growing the investment in development of Māori land, and connecting owners with their whenua.”

Dr Severne holds a PhD in Geology from the University of Auckland. In 2016, she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, recognising her role as a strong advocate and mentor for Māori students in science, and as a trail blazer in assisting Māori asset-owning entities to understand and better utilise science and research to sustainably manage and develop their taonga tuku iho.

Dr Severne also has a wealth of experience in working with Māori business as a science advisor and in governance roles in energy, fisheries and farming entities, including as chair of the Lake Rotoaira Trusts (Forest and Lake) and deputy chair of Opepe Farm Trust.